# Canada pivots to Europe as Trump threatens tariffs > Mark Carney courts the E.U. with an associate membership bid while Trump warns of economic retaliation. - Title: Canada pivots to Europe as Trump threatens tariffs · TIME - Summary: Mark Carney courts the E.U. with an associate membership bid while Trump warns of economic retaliation. Canada is actively building new alliances with Europe… - Keywords: mark carney, canada, european union, associate membership, donald trump, tariffs, trade war, ursula von der leyen, andy burnham, joint expeditionary force, nato, defense cooperation - Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/09/17/canada-european-union-membership-carney-trump-tariff-threats - Author: Tiago Ventura - Published: 2026-09-17T13:25:00+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: mark carney, canada, european union, associate membership, donald trump, tariffs, trade war, ursula von der leyen, andy burnham, joint expeditionary force, nato, defense cooperation ## Carney courts Europe in Strasbourg Canadian PM Mark Carney addressed the European Parliament as a guest of honor, welcoming Canada's prospect as an E.U. associate member just hours after Trump called the idea laughable. > Europe and Canada are stronger together ## Trump dismisses the proposal Trump called the E.U.-Canada plan laughable and threatened very serious tariffs if the bloc moves forward, warning of heavy economic punishment. > If it's a bad intention, we'll put very heavy tariffs on Europe. ## Canada faces trade war pressure Canada's retaliatory tariffs came into effect last week after negotiations with the U.S. collapsed, as Trump repeatedly threatened Canadian sovereignty and called for making it the 51st state. ## Carney condemns economic weaponization Speaking to European lawmakers, Carney criticized how economic integration and tariffs are being weaponized, and said financial mechanisms have been used for coercion. > Economic integration is now being weaponized, tariffs being used to exert pressure ## Canada seeks strategic autonomy Carney outlined plans for deep cooperation with Europe on critical minerals, defense capacity, AI, energy security, space, and payments to avoid dependence on individual nations or companies. ## Freedom of movement proposed Carney hinted at potential freedom of movement between the E.U. and Canada that would allow youth to work, study, and live on either side of the Atlantic. ## Carney meets British PM Burnham During his European tour, Carney met with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Liverpool and attended a football match where their shared team Everton won against Wolverhampton Wanderers. ## Canada joins military coalition Canada has formally applied to join the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a NATO military coalition of 10 North Atlantic member states launched in 2014. ## Canada already in European defense In February, Canada became the first non-European country to participate in the Security Action for Europe instrument, which provides up to 150 billion euros in low-interest loans for military equipment. ## E.U. plans deeper partnership The E.U. will work with member states to create a new form of association including economic ties, technology alliances, defense integration, and Arctic cooperation. ## European lawmakers embrace the move Spanish MEP Javier Moreno Sánchez called the associate membership politically significant, while Irish MEP Barry Andrews called it a win-win and urged democratic countries to stand together against Trump, Xi, and Putin. ## Some oppose the decision process French MEP Manon Aubry criticized the method, arguing that a decision of such magnitude cannot be made by the European Commission president alone. ## Key takeaway Canada is actively building new alliances with Europe and the U.K. to reduce dependence on the U.S. amid escalating trade tensions and Trump's threats to Canadian sovereignty.